1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-direction opening lid structure and particularly a novel lid that has a plurality of hooks located at bottom rims thereof for engaging with mating troughs located in the scanner body to enable the lid be opened in any of four sides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Technology innovation in recent years has spawned a great number of new products, particularly in electronic and computer industries. Because of fierce competition and continuous research and development, many products become very popular and widely accepted, while the prices drop continuously. Scanner is one of such products. Scanner manufacturers generally focus their research and development on improvements in optical resolution and software driver programs. Not many of them have given much effort on improving external structure. For instance, to use scanner in a restrictive working space could be an annoying problem, particularly when scanner lid can be lifted and opened in only one direction as most conventional scanners do now. One of the areas worth pursing is to make scanner lid openable in all directions.
FIG. 1 shows a Utility Model Patent disclosed in ROC Patent Publication No. 377936, titled xe2x80x9cMulti-Direction Opening Lid for Table Top Scannerxe2x80x9d. It has a lid 41, a frame 42, two linkage bars 43 and a plurality of spindles 44. The spindles 44 serve as pivotal joints to engage with the lid 41, linkage bars 43 and frame 42. FIG. 2 shows one of the lid opening states. The lid 41 may engage with the scanner at one end thereof, and may be opened at a front, left or right side in three directions. However it has a complicated structure. It needs additional structure such as linkage bars 43 and frame 42. Production cost is higher. The three ways lid opening still has operational limitation. Space for holding the document is different when the lid is opened at different side. It is difficult to position and align scanning document accurately, and may result in non-complete scanning and lost of data. All this begs for improvement.
The present invention aims at resolving the problems existed in conventional scanners set forth above and providing a multi-direction lid opening structure in which the lid may be integrally made by plastic injection molding. The lid has a plurality of novel hooks located at side rims of the bottom side thereof. The scanner body has a plurality of latch means located at the top rims thereof mating and engageable with the hooks. The lid may flatly cover the scanner body and may be lifted at each of the four sides. The document holding space above scanner body after the lid is opened is same regardless which side the lid being opened. Hence scanning documents may be positioned easily and accurately. The structure is simple and reliable, and may be produced at a low cost.
For achieving aforesaid object, the present invention includes:
a lid located above the scanner body for covering scanning document during scanning operation,
a plurality of hooks located at the side rims below the bottom surface of the lid. Each hook has a shoulder attached to the bottom surface, a narrow neck extended downward from the shoulder, and a latch member attached to the neck and having two extended fingers, and
a scanner body having a plurality of troughs. Each trough has a latch opening engageable with the hook for the lid to cover the top of the scanner.
In one aspect, the lid and hooks are integrally made by means of plastic injection molding process. The lid may be laid on the scanner body horizontally, and may be lifted and opened at either of the four sides. When the lid is opened, the latch member may engage with an anchor block located in the scanner body to prevent the lid from breaking away from the scanner body.